Bride had a bright idea. While CQD was the traditional distress call, an international convention had just agreed to use instead the letters SOS—they were easy for the rankest amateur to pick up. So Bride suggested, “Send SOS; it’s the new call, and it may be your last chance to send it.” Phillips laughed at the joke and switched the call. The clock in the wireless shack said 12:45 A.M. when the Titanic sent the first SOS call in history.
